Invitation to a concert n.d.

Felicien Rops created this drypoint etching titled "Invitation to a Concert". The skeletal figure dominates our attention. Note the figure’s outstretched arm, palm open, a gesture that echoes ancient invocations. It’s an invitation, yes, but tinged with mortality. We see this gesture recur through time—in classical depictions of orators, saints, and even in theatrical performances designed to evoke strong emotions. Consider how the open hand, a symbol of offering or supplication, morphs into a gesture of beckoning, of luring. Subconsciously, we respond to this primal call, recognizing the ever-present dance between life and death. The figure reminds us that art is not merely a reflection of life but a confrontation with our deepest fears and desires. It's a symbol of our fleeting existence, a constant memento mori, reminding us to embrace both the beauty and the terror of life's concert.